


Hearts Desires

by SketchLockwood



Category: The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Kay Penman, The White Queen (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 09:41:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4661916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchLockwood/pseuds/SketchLockwood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edmund falls in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hearts Desires

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fangirl2013](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl2013/gifts).



He awoke, sweat glistening on his forehead. Sitting up slowly in his bed he peeked through the ragged curtains, cursing quietly. His irritation stemmed from his sleep-deprived state and branched towards his father’s inadequacy. Why did the man not insist upon the repayment of his loan to King Henry? He sighed, seeing the sky black as pitch and heard the rain tapping on the window. 

Something untoward caught his attention. He had been about to return his head to it’s proper place upon his pillow. Instead he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. The moment his bare skin touched the cold stone floor - a floor free of rushes for their extravagant cost, another cause of irritation - he heard the noise again. A laughter, a faint almost distant laughter of a woman. Edward, Earl of March approached the window, wrapping a robe about himself as he shivered watching the figures in the courtyard below. 

Their faces were shadowed, they wore dark cloaks but Edward would recognise his brother Edmund from even the furthest distance. A small smile came to his face as he tied the sash, feeling around on the window seat for his hose, woollen and by now thick with dirt. Gripping them he pulled them on only moments before he heard the creak of the iron hinges. No sooner than the door clicked closed, the latch falling into it’s cradle in the quietest way. 

A way only Edmund could ever achieve. 

Edward listened silently, unmoving. He heard the rustle of fabrics and then a faint humming. His brother was in good humour, high cheer even. Well that meant one of them. He heard the snap of leather, a confirmation that Edmund was tackling the ties fastening his hose and doublet. So, he had been dressed in his finest clothes.   It was then that Edward moved, his foot making noise on the floor. Edmund’s movement’s fell silent. He had paused. Another snap of leather provoked Edward’s next answer. “So was your midnight adventure to your liking, my Lord Rutland?”  “Jesu Edward, but you did give me a fright. What if you had been a servant, or Madam Eloise. You perhaps could have been papa.” Edmund breathed and audible sigh of relief as his brother stepped closer. “What would you know of it?”   Edward scoffed, resting a hand on the wooden post of the bed. “That you are defiled of innocence. Who was she? You sinful wanton mutt. Forget our father, ma mere will have you in the stocks. Nay, she will have you branded.”  “As for her Ned, do you not care for her innocence? What of her life is she was no virgin when she wed? Do you not ponder on that?” Edmund sounded genuinely angry. 

“Pah!” Edward laughed. “You are bedding a hedgerow slut, why should I care for your harlot? I care for your immortal soul, and your current welfare.” 

“Then does God not respect love?” The bed creaked as Edmund’s weight sank onto it.   “Love aye, lust? Nay. Tis’ lust you feel not love.”  “And you would pretend to understand love?” Edmund said, his voice almost shrill. “You know nothing of it. I love the girl, no lust, and in my right state of mind Ned I would marry her not bed her. I am not you in case you do not recall.” 

Edward gulped, his eyes wide but unseen in the dark. “You truly do love her?” His voice was quiet, a shocked whisper. “Edmund, who is she?”  “Does it matter? If I truly love her? I would wed her Ned. Truly.”  “Love is love, it will never die, Edmund I know that. But you cannot love her if she is not for you. You are an Earl. You cannot marry who you please. Lord I wish you could.” Edward sat upon the bed, reaching out to touch his brother, feeling his shoulder beneath a gentle hand. “Will you not tell me?”

“She is the daughter of our tutor.”  “El Croft?” Edward smiled. “Why you do pick them. She is pretty, and lovely. A tender lass. Quiet but she likes you. It was obvious to think of it. The way she looked, and swooned. Jesu, she was practically in your arms. On your lap. In your-”  “Don’t be crude! We have done nothing of your perverted thoughts. I maintain her modesty until our noble parents would give permission for our union.” 

“It shall not happen. They will cast you on the street if you decline their objections.”  “Then so be it! Ned, you claim you are knowledgeable, you claim you know what all. But you do not. You do not know love, you would not lose it all, you would not cast yourself as pauper to have the desires of the heart. I would not have the wealth of gold, but the wealth of love, of kindness. I love her. I will always love her. My parents wishes will not change that. Nor will your ridiculous protests.”


End file.
